Atlanta strip-club DJ William Fernando Barnes, better known as DJ Nando, was shot dead outside his home in Morrow, Ga., early Tuesday morning, according to local police.

Mr. Barnes, 38, was a member of Coalition DJs, a group known for helping rap and hip-hop artists get exposure for new songs, and eventually land record deals and radio play. The alliance of about a dozen strip-club DJs, featured in a page-one Wall Street Journal story last summer, charges artists several thousand dollars per song, which each member DJ plays repeatedly in clubs. In many cases, the sheer repetition has been enough to turn the songs into instant hits on the streets of Atlanta, one of the hip-hop industry’s most important hubs.

Mr. Barnes — a resident DJ at popular adult-entertainment venues around Atlanta such as Kamal’s 21, Magic City and Onyx – had been working on his own debut album in his final days, according to Coalition DJs founder Nick Love.

“DJ Nando played a huge role in the success of Atlanta’s thriving music scene, and was a constant ‘go to’ for labels and artists trying to get their music to the masses,” Mr. Love said in a statement.

Artists from Jermaine Dupri to Ludacris expressed condolences on Twitter.

A Clayton County police spokesman said the investigation was ongoing and declined further comment.